Engineering and infrastructure company Costain has been appointed by UK’s Thames Water to carry out around £150m ($202.9m) of upgrades to wastewater treatment assets at 15 sites across the Thames Valley.
The work forms part of Thames Water's Wastewater Asset Assurance Programme (WAAP) and is expected to be completed during Asset Management Period 8 (AMP8), the regulatory period running from 2025 to 2030.
Costain's scope covers the modernisation of inlet stations; measures to improve the resilience of storm tanks; and further repairs, modifications and upgrades to wastewater systems.
The contractor will divide delivery into two areas, East and West, with a regional senior project manager appointed to each.
The award sits within a wider Thames Water investment programme covering sewers and sewage treatment works, with improvements planned at more than 250 locations across its region. The utility describes it as its biggest such upgrade in 150 years.
Thames Water capital delivery director Tim Horton said: “We are delivering the largest programme of investment in our wastewater network in more than 150 years, helping to improve resilience across our region and support a growing population.
“Costain has a strong track record of safely delivering complex infrastructure projects and will play an important role in upgrading key treatment assets across these 15 sites. Together, we will modernise critical wastewater infrastructure, improve operational performance and help ensure we continue to provide a more reliable service for our customers and the environment.”
Costain water sector director Matt Bateman said: “We have a long-term, trusted partner relationship with Thames Water and this award is built on our excellent track record of identifying construction efficiencies and delivering best-in-class solutions.
“We’ll work closely with Thames Water and our supply chain partners to deliver these essential infrastructure upgrades that will build resilience into the region’s critical wastewater system, efficiently and safely.”
Costain has previously been awarded contracts to upgrade treatment assets at Markyate, Sandhurst, Brickendon, and Selborne.
The company has also carried out clay compaction trials for the White Horse Reservoir, a planned 150-million-cubic-metre reservoir in Oxfordshire intended to supply up to 15 million people.
In June, Costain was selected by Norfolk County Council to deliver detailed design and construction work on the West Winch Housing Access Road scheme, near King's Lynn in the UK.
